Automobile torpedo.



Paented 1an. 23, i900.

i, MAXIM. @Mamani m3113599,

(No model.)

Afro/Mfr Patented lan. 23, E990. Hi MAXIM. A'uomoBlLE ToRPEno.

(Application med Feb. 12, 189s.)

2 Sheets-Shee 2.

(No Modgl.)

IN VEN TUI? ATTORNEY HUDSON MAXIM, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

AUTOMOBILE Toscano.

smsen-marion forming part of .Letters Patent rre. 641,719?, dats .fanuary 23,1900.

Application filed February 12,1898. Serial No. 670,041. (No model.) I

I VTo aZ whom, t may concern/.-

Be it known that I, HUDSON MAXIM, acitizen of the United States of America, residing 'at 377 Norwood road, London, S. E., England,

`have invented certain new and useful Im,- .fprovements in Automobile Torpedoes, of

` A. .which the following is a specification.

' 1 My invention relates to torpedoes, 'and more.

particularly to that class of torpedoes which 1 Y. automobile torpedoes.

possess within themselves the means required for their propulsion and known in the art as Such torpedoes f'* have heretofore been constructed with a res- Vzo ervoir for any suitable motive uidyas compressed air, which fluid is utilized for driving a propeller. In order that such torpedo might have suticient power stored in the ,reservoir to drive it at the desiredvjpgibljojhelequir'et distance," o'r both, it has heret-ofore been found necessary to construct the reser ing a much larger explosive charge than has heretofore been practicable and also be able to travel at a greater speed and for a greater distance than has heretofore been deemed possible in this class of torpedoes.

With these objects in View the invention:

consists in a torpedo having a suitable chamber therein for the explosive charge and a suitable motive uid contained in a reservoir which is provided with means for supporting and burninga suitable combustible nitro compound in such a manner that the products of combustion may combine with or enter with the motive uid into the torpedo-motor,so that not only is the pressure of the motive fluid increased or maintained for a longer period of time and its volume augmented, but `the air is so heated that=it willnot freeze or produce appreciable cold, proper operation of the motor. Inits pre and thus hinder the.

ferred form a chamber containing a suitable liquid, as water,is connected with the motiveuid reservoir by means of a passage controlled by avalve opening toward fluid-pressure in the reservoir, andthe combustible nitro compound is supported and burned in such manner that the products of combustion there from will mix with the liquid in the chamber, thereby raising its temperature and increasing its pressure suiiicient to overcome the pressure of the fluid in the reservoir on the valve in the connecting-passage, lso that the heated or vaporized liquid and products of combustion will pass from the liquid-chamber into the reservir and mix with the motive fluid therein., The motive fluid is conducted by va suitable conduit to the motor, which may henf'any'prefarred..type,and in its most ap- -proved form the vaporized liquid and pro-v ducts of combustion from the chamber containing the water or other liquid are mixed with the motive iuid at a point in close prox` imity to the mouth of the conduit leading from the reservoir to the motor.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown which my invention may assume; but it is to thereby to deu'e the limits of the invention,

in various forms.

In said drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section of one' form of my new torpedo, parts at the front and rear being broken away. Fig. 2 is a similar View of a modified form of the torpedo, and Fig. 3 is a View of another moditication.

which like letters refer to like parts throughout the several views, the chamber for the explosive charge is indicated by the letter A, Said chamber being, as usual, in the forward or bow end of the torpedo, and B indicates the reservoir for motive duid, which is prefpipe Gis-controlled by a suitable valve, as c. Supported within the reservoir B is the combustionechamber, which in this instance i'sn dinally arranged with respect to the znoitive` be understood that in so doing l do not mean Referring first to Fig-1 of the drawings, in

for the purpose of illustration certain forms as the same inventive idea maybe e pressed erably compressed air, having the pipe Cleading therefrom to the motor, (not sho wn,) which the form of a tube D, cent1-allyl and longtut duid reservoir and preferably entending be- 1 tween the two heads of the reservoir and supto prevent the freezing of the air in its expan sion, itis preferred to surround the perforated Walls of tire tube with a jacket d, (see Figs.,1 and 3,) terminating in a mouth or nozzle e, located near the delivery-pipe C, so that the hot products of combustion will be directed into and become mixed with that portion of the air which is about to be expanded in penforming its duty. At the same time that-.the air is prevented from freezing it necessarily results that the tempera-ture of the products of combustion are considerably lowered, so that they can be safely utilized as a motive fluid or as a part of av motive lluid without danger to the motor or its connections.

ln addition to the advantages heretofore enumerated incident to the use of the combustible charge it Will'be obvious that in addition to the usual volume of compressed air with which the chamber will be charged the combustible charge will in itself provide an exceedingly large volume of gas to augment the air charge and also largely increase the pressure of the motive iluid passing to the motor, and hence the invention in this important particular renders it possible to largely increase the charge in a self-propelling torpedo, in which up to the present time the explosivecharge has been restricted in Weight by reason of the space necessarily taken vup by the compressed-air chamber',l which must contain a sufficient volume to drive the torpedo the maximum distance. At the same time also the size of the compressed-air chamber has been restricted, because of the need of carrying a sulicient explosive charge to insure the torpedo doing eiective Work, and hence the distance to which the torpedo could be driven has been also limited. By reason of the present invention. however, it is possible Without any increase in size thereof and without diminishing the weight of the explosive charge to provide the torpedo with means for evolving a large volume of comparatively high pressure gases only generated as fast as needed and which in addition to augmenting the volume of the compressed-air charge also serves by their heat to prevent the air from freezing.

Any desired means may be employed for iguiting the combustible charge at the desired moment. As' shown, the 'charge will be ignited by an electric current in circuit with the Wires f, leading to the rear end of the charge. The generator F, by which the necessary incandescence or spark is formed to ignite the charge, may obviously be connected to or form part of the'propelling-metcr of the torpedo, so that the instant after the motor starts, due to the passage of the compressed air thereto, sufficient electricity `will be generated to rethe combustible charge, so that it will thereupon Vcommence to evclvethe necessary heated gases to mingle 'with the ccmpressed air, as before described.

In order ,that there may be no danger of the combustible charge going out at its initial ignition, a small piece of Wick or other highlyinilammable material i may be inserted in the end of the charge E, so that simultaneous with the ignition of the-charge the Wick will burn and will continue to burn until suoli time as there is no longer any danger of the charge blowing out.

ln theform of the invention shown in Fig. 2 the torpedo having the air-chamber B is provided with a water-chamber G, with which water chamber is arranged a combustic'nchamber D', its forward end opening into the water-chamber and provided with a combustible charge E of the character before referred to. tending through the air-chamber B there is provided a conical tube H, with its rear and smaller open end in line with the deliverypipe C, leading to the motor. The Water end oi this conical tube is controlled by any suitable valve g, held to its seat te pevent the accideutal escape of tho Water from the chainbcr G by the air-pressure which is normally in said Lube.. .Vhen the combustible charge E is ignited, as by the electric current in 'the circuitf, the products of combustion Will enter the water of the-chamber G, increase its pressure, and .raise its temperature suiiicient to'overcome the air-pressure against the valve g, so that the heated or vaporized Water and the products of combustion will pass through said tube into the delivery-pipe C to mix with the air passing through said pipe to the rnstor. ln thus mixing the heated or vaporized Water and products of combustion with the air the temperature of the air will be raised sufficient to prevent it'from freezing and volumeof gases passing through the motor will be increased.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 3 substantially the structure shown in Fig. l is adopted, with4 the addition of the traten chamber G and combustion-chamber D of Fig. 2. In this instance, however, the coin- From the Water-chamber and exbustible charge E lsperforat'ed'longit'ndinaiy to receive an atomizing-tube hfleading fr orn the water-chamber to the rear end of said charge. Upon the ignition of the combustible charge in the chamber D and the accumulation of the products of combustion in the water-chamber thev pressure thus generated will overcome the air-pressure upon the check. valve g in said tube 7L and will atomize water in forcing it through said tube. The atomized water, with the products of combustion, will be delivered at the rear end of 'the combustion-chamber D and will pass, with scribed.

' the motor.

the products of combustion, from the combustible charge E therein into the air-chamber, and thence out by the delivery-pipe C to The means for igniting the two charges E E in this example of the invention may obviously be the same as that before derIhe forward head of the air-chamber B may Mbe provided with a valve lo, held seated by `the air-pressure therein, which, should the pressed-air. chamber and a water-chamber, it

is to be understood that any other suitable iiuid is intended to be -covered therebysuch, for instance, as carbonio-acid gas, liquidhydrocarbons, solutions of ammoniacal gas, and the like. y

Of course it will also be understood that lwhen the water-chamber G is employed suficient air-space should be left in such chamber to provide for the reception of the products of combustion which are to exert their elastic force in expelling the Water outward toward the motor, so that dangerous pressures shall not be generated, owing to the tooclose corinementof theexplosive.

.1. In an automobile-torpedo a shell or hull havinga chamber for the explosive charge, a

reservoir containinga motive luid,\vith a pipe or conduit leading therefrom to the motor, a solid combustible charge, a passage-Way for the gases of combustion from said charge to the reservoir, and means for igniting saidv charge.

2. In an automobile to; pedo, a shell or hull I having a chamber for the explosive charge, a reservoir for the motive fluid,- With a pipe or conduit leading,` therefrom to the motor, a combustion-chamber within said reservoir, a combustible nitro compound in said chambe'r,-a passage for the gases of combustion from said combustion-chamber to said reser- Voir and means for igniting said nitro compound.

3. A self-propelling torpedo provided with a chamber for an explosive charge, a compressed-air reservoir, a Water-chamber, a combustible charge having communication with said Water-chamber, and thence with the air-chamber, means for igniting the combus Y In witness whereofl have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

HUDSON MAXIM.

v Witnesses: l

GEO. H. GRAHAM, LILIAN MAXIM. 

